jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

Now we are also in talks with the University of Heidelberg about a credit school which focuses on relations
between Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
● As a kind of comparative religion department?
No, they will remain separate institutions. But somewhere we have to take note of the fact that almost 10-15
percent of our students are studying a combination of Jewish Studies and Islamic Studies. By the way, most
of the students with this combination are not Jews and not Muslims. Such a school would be part of the
University of Heidelberg, and it would provide new approaches for everyone who participates, but it also
means a lot of preparatory work before it can be established.
However, there are also ideas to develop the University of Jewish Studies much more as a place where
Jewish students find their center and their opportunities even when they are not enrolled here. We think its
time to establish a Jewish kindergarten here in the old city for all the Jewish parents studying or living in
Heidelberg. We have a kosher kitchen here, a kosher cafeteria, a university Rabbi, and a good Jewish
background in general. This could be the basis for starting a Hillel Student Center here, maybe reaching the
people in the wider Main-Neckar-area from Heidelberg to Karlsruhe and Darmstadt.
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